The Malfoy Marriage Memoir
by shen summoner
Summary: Standalone/Sequel to Draco Date file. When Draco Malfoy asked Hermione Granger to marry him, he knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park. What he didn't know was that some of it would feel like a bed of thorns. Two years of marriage and one child later, circumstances are such that Draco is led to go back to his old diary - and rediscover why he fell in love with his wife.
1. Chapter 1

**THE MALFOY MARRIAGE MEMOIR**

Preface

It's Not As Easy As It Seems

* * *

'FUCK YOU!'

'Well, guess what, you already did, sweetheart, last night, and then you fell right asleep as you ALWAYS do. And no one's enjoying it!'

'You're enjoying it!'

'Are you kidding me? You come in late, I'm sleeping, get in next to me, HOG THE FUCKING COVERS, then a second later you're all "hey, baby I missed you" and then you get right down to it! It's kiss my shoulder two times – I COUNTED! – AND now my shoulder is fucking freezing because you've hogged the covers, then grab my waist and stroke my thighs and then kiss my neck thrice, twice on the neck, once on the pulse point, then a very aunt-like peck on the lips and THAT'S. FUCKING. IT. That's all the foreplay we do before your clothes are off.'

'Aunt-like peck?! The hell do you mean by an aunt-like peck? Draco Malfoy does not give aunt-like pecks, thank you very much.'

'Well, he may not to his girlfriends but he certainly does to his wife.'

No one spoke for a beat.

'Honestly? You think I'm cheating on you?'

She shrugged and said nothing, the sighed, brushing her bushy curls out of her face. 'No, I don't.'

'Then don't fucking say that I'm cheating on you!'

'I didn't! I did not say the word "cheat."'

'Well, you insinuated it!'

'That's not the same thing,' she replied exasperatedly.

'Well, it was the fucking same thing when I insinuated that maybe you need to ease it up with SPEW in order to –'

'Don't bring Leo into this!' she screeched.

'I was merely giving an exa-'

'No! I said it then, I'm saying it now; just because I've had Leo doesn't mean my life is over! I'm not going to sit around and mother my kid all day if that's what you want me to do.'

'Oh, for fuck's sake,' he snapped, banging on their dining table and disturbing their son who was sleeping in the nursery. 'Don't make it about this again. We've had this exact same conversation before; I'm not ready for a replay just yet.'

'Oh, of course, _you're_ not ready. I'm sure it's too much for you, Merlin forbid you ever lend a hand to help out with YOUR son.'

'Oh, my God, not this again, I refuse to be a part of this conversation if you're just going to be standing there blaming me for all this shit. We're in this together, Hermione, remember that. I mess up, he's MY son. You take care of him, he's YOUR son. Guess what, he's OURS, and he's –'

Just then there was a rattling sound of a toddler crying and they both cringed.

'Fuck.'

'About right,' she said, resting her palms against the table between them and groaning. 'It's your turn. And don't you dare deny it or you'll be eating slugs for a week.'

'Wasn't going to.'

'Sure.'

Draco sent her a contemptible glare and went inside to soothe his son as he briefly recalled that their conversation had started with a simple question of – "What's for dinner?"

He sighed as he entered the room, but his gaze softened at the sight of his son.

'Well, mate,' he said over the sound of his howling. 'It looks like you've got me for now. And it's gonna be a long night.'

-X-X-X-

 **A/n - This is kind of a sequel to The Draco Date File that I wrote two years ago. The idea's been playing about in my head for quite a bit of time now. That being said, it's good enough to be read as a stand-alone fic too. Those who haven't read DDF do not need to, though I recommend you may, it might give you some insight about the Draco in it.**

 **This is super short, but it's like a preface, so the chapters will be longer.**

 **Leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**THE MALFOY MARRIAGE MEMOIR**

Chapter 1

Holding On To A Broken Dream

* * *

"Oh, fuck, yes! Right there!'

He groaned above her, and it didn't take long for the both of them to come undone, and soon after, he was slumped over her, trailing lazy fingers through her ringlets before rolling off of her in one swift motion, collapsing on the queen size beside her, unconsciously snaking an arm around her sweaty waist to pull her closer to him and spoon her to his front.

"This doesn't change anything, you know," she whispered, caressing the hand that lay upon her ribcage, resting torpidly against the underside of her breast.

He said nothing in return, and simply pressed his head forward and inhaled her post-sex scent, humming through her curls and kissing her neck in an absent-minded fashion.

"I mean it," she said, when her previous statement elicited no reply from him.

He said nothing but slid his hand upwards to pinch the sore peaks he'd lavished with attention just a while before, while pushing his leg between hers, commanding her to forget her line of thought as she moaned in a befuddled haze.

This hadn't been what she'd had in mind when Draco had returned home that night and gone off again to drop Leo at his beloved Granny Narcissa's place. He'd returned just as quickly as he'd left and presented her with thick strips of satin that had sat rather proudly on his hands.

They'd been put to good use, she noted, and still hung limply around her wrists and forehead from when she'd pushed them off her eyes. If she knew that all it took for her husband to go sex-crazy on her was insulting his sexual prowess, she'd have mentioned the mechanical love making sooner, but she knew it was just his bruised ego doing the work for now.

Nonetheless, it felt good to have him better invested in what they did under the covers - so to speak - and she certainly wasn't complaining. It had been a while since she'd felt so wanted, and, heavens, did it feel good.

It still felt good as she rocked her hips in rhythm to his and threw her head back to rest on his chest with reckless abandon as he prepared her for another round.

"So hot, love, and all for me," he murmured in her ears, while palming her center, and she almost came undone at that itself, because Godric knew it had been ages since she'd last been worshipped like this.

"Say you like this," he groaned, as they began to ride together towards their climax.

"I - ah – I like - oh," she whimpered, biting her lip at the ecstasy coursing through her veins.

"Who else can make you feel this way, Hermione?"

"No one," she bit out and met back each of his thrusts with equal vigour, each one closer to sending her over the edge. "No one but you."

"Good," he smirked, licking at the shell of her earlobe, and that sweet sensation was all it took to send her riding down the blissful waves of release, and he followed soon after.

"Merlin, that was amazing," he sighed contentedly in the aftermath, rubbing his nose against her cheek. "God, I love you."

A solitary tear slid down her cheek.

"Why?"

He chuckled. "Why? You're my wife."

She sighed, caressing his fingertips. "Not good enough," she whispered, but he was already asleep.

-X-X-X-

Draco coughed as a cloud of dust hit him in the face, and wheezed in disgust, waving his wand about to settle the sandstorm brewing in his attic.

It was a Sunday, which meant his Mother would be bringing Leo back by around 10, so he had about thirty minutes to hunt for his old broom to give Leo his first proper riding lesson.

He had, so far, been unsuccessful to say the least, and had been reunited with a couple of his old sweatpants and Hermione's worn out tennis rackets, but there was still no sign of the pesky little broomstick.

Speaking of Hermione...he sighed. His wife had been in a horrible mood this morning, not very unlike most other mornings, and he'd chosen to stay away, considering he didn't particularly fancy having a knife thrown at him before he'd had at least five cups of coffee. And to think he'd gone to bed assuming that their passionate romp in the sheets would lead to a much more pleasant witch to be around come morning.

He sighed again. No matter what he did, he just couldn't seem to do anything right. And he couldn't even find a blasted broomstick. He could have Accio-ed it but he didn't especially love the idea of a layer of dust- that was as thick as Hermione said his skin was - coating his body from head to toe.

He grabbed at the first thing he could find behind the collection of his old Chocolate Frog cards that a childish part of him still refused to part with, and came in contact with a thick, worn-out, leather bound book which he pulled out for closer inspection, eyes widening when he finally realised what it was that his fingers had gripped at the edges.

He dropped it at his feet in a second of panic, and stared in mute fascination as it flew open to a random page that was crammed untidily with his scrawls.

He knelt down gingerly, and hesitantly brought up his old journal to his bent knee, bringing it into the light of the faint Lumos he had cast earlier.

 _23rd July, 2005_

 _I can't believe I went through with it. I did it. And she said yes._

 _Yes._

 _A clear, warm and resounding yes._

 _"Will you, Hermione Jean Granger, do me the honour of becoming my wife?"_

 _"Yes."_

 _It was that simple. She'd cried and clamped me into one her famous Griffindor hugs, and let me go for a split second before attacking my lips with hers and pushing me onto the kitchen table, not caring if she spilt red wine onto the carpet._

 _I didn't care much either, and all thoughts of 1000 galleons worth of carpets flew out of my brain when it finally dawned upon me that I, Draco Malfoy, would be spending the rest of my life with Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, and the love of my life, and that she would bear my children and grow old with me and make me the luckiest man on Earth._

 _Heck, I already was the luckiest man on Earth, and I couldn't help but wonder how despite four years of togetherness, she still managed to take my -_

Draco slammed the diary shut, and realised that he had been holding in his breath ever since he'd started reading.

He let it out in one slow puff, and shuddered. He was nowhere near ready to replay how much in love they'd been; it hurt too much.

He finally caught sight of the dammed broomstick and made to leave, locking the door behind him, and still didn't realise, until he was back in his room, that he'd brought his journal down with him, and that his finger was still lodged between the pages.

He thumbed through the leaves with the air of a man who had given up, and was startled out of this activity by Hermione calling out to let him know that Leo had arrived.

He leapt up from his place on the bed and hastily crammed the diary in between the sheets on his side of the bed, before going out to greet his mother and his son.

-X-X-X-

Draco hummed contentedly as he stepped out of the bathroom, a towel draped around his waist, while he rubbed another over his wet hair. He began whistling unconsciously, and put on his comfy tracks leisurely, shucking off the towel around him. He sat on his bed and palmed at his scalp one last time before throwing that towel onto the other one on the bed beside him.

He heard Hermione clear her throat from the doorway, and glanced up to see that she was looking at the towels he'd left on the bed. He immediately snatched them back and muttered a quick drying spell on both the towels and the bed sheet.

She sighed and stepped into the room, walking forward till she was standing right before him. He looked up and she placed both her hands on his bare shoulders, still warm from the bath, squeezing at them softly.

'What's the matter?' he asked.

She shook her head. 'Nothing. I put Leo to bed.'

'Good,' he replied, looking down again, fixating on the little tear in her pants at her left knee.

'He – he really enjoyed today, you know. I could tell - first flying lesson and all. He's only three, but already mad about his toy broomstick and about learning how to fly with Daddy.' Her voice caught.

He glanced up again, and noticed her blinking furiously.

'And – I just,' she continued, remorsefully. 'I'm sorry for the other night. I really am. I, well - I shouldn't have said what I did.'

He nodded, then moved to rest his hands on her waist as her grip on his shoulder tightened, head drooping so that the tips of her hair ticked his face. His fingers hooked into the loops of her jeans and he dragged her even closer, resting his forehead against her stomach, pressing a little kiss to her belly and inhaling the blank smell of her plaid shirt.

She smiled and moved her hands up till they were wound in his hair, holding him in place and gently massaging his scalp, as his arms moved around her to circle her hips in an embrace, while they both thought about how they hadn't just held each other in this way in a very, very long time.

-X-X-X-

 **A/n - Thank you to all those who read and reviewed the previous chapter! I'm so pleased you guys like the idea! I hope this chapter was adequate for the time being. A bit short, yes, but the next ones will be longer.**

 **Do leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**THE MALFOY MARRIAGE MEMOIR**

Chapter 2

Maybe It's Not As Bad As It Seems

* * *

Blaise gulped down a large swig of butterbeer from one of the bottles he'd specially had Madam Rosemerta pack for him since he couldn't get enough of the frothy drink, and leaned back on his couch. 'So she said you were cheating on her. Big deal, I get that from Pansy every time she's PMS-ing. It's not like she means it.'

Draco huffed. 'Hermione wasn't PMS-ing, you idiot. And she wouldn't have said it if the thought wasn't lurking around in the recesses of her brilliantly complicated mind somewhere. And you know how it's been these past few years.'

'True, but you keep saying there's no valid reason for all these fights you guys keep having. It must be just a little rough patch you're going through. Everyone goes through it, man. Even Pansy and I did. We've said some rude shit to each other – heck, we still do sometimes. But it's not easy living with another person, no matter how compatible you are, and Granger and you have always been the type of couple to fight and make-up.'

'I wish I could believe what you're saying, Blaise, I really do,' Draco sighed. 'But that would be deluding myself, and I don't want to do that. Ever since we've had Leo, things have just spiraled downhill. I always thought that having a child together would sort of intensify our love or bond or whatever, but for some reason, Hermione and my marriage has been the exception to the rule. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my kid, and wouldn't want to reverse having him for even a second, but sometimes I just miss the way things were back when we were just dating. And not to mention –'

He was cut off when Pansy bounded into the room and plopped onto the sofa next to her husband, lifting her legs up to rest them on his lap with an ease only Pansy could manage.

'Well, Draco, I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation with my darling husband, and I, frankly, would love to give you my two-cents about the entire matter.' She looked him dead in the eye and said, 'You, my friend, are being a twat.'

'I'm being a what?' Draco spat out, narrowing his eyes at his childhood friend.

'I said you are being a twat.' She held up her hand when Draco opened his mouth to interrupt her. 'Let me finish. There are three reasons I believe so. Number one - we all know the difficult pregnancy that Hermione had. The medi-wizards had clearly said that the chances that Leo would make it out alive would be little to none. But he did. And it was because Hermione fought for him. It was because of her resilience. And we all know the toll it's taken on her health. She's got half the strength she used to have, but she's still harbouring an indomitable spirit within her. And it's something she wants you to appreciate.'

'I do appreciate it! I always have. You know I was ready to abort the pregnancy, even. I never wanted to lose her, and I thank God every day that both she and Leo made it out.'

'I get that, Draco, but I don't think you're going about it the correct way.'

'The correct way?' Draco raised an eyebrow. 'I wasn't aware there was a guidebook to this.'

Pansy swatted his arm. 'Which brings me to number two. Hermione is the kind of woman who doesn't need someone doing everything for her. She's an independent person and always has been. We were raised differently, Draco. She's used to her independence and you're treating her like a china-doll, which doesn't really bode well with her. I'm sure that's playing up in a way and leading to all the frustration.'

Draco set his mouth in a firm line. 'If not letting her exert herself by making her presence known at the store from morning to evening is me treating her like a china-doll, then so be it. She needs the rest, as you've said – you know the toll the pregnancy took on her. She's going at it with SPEW at home, believe me. Besides, Leo needs her. We both decided that we don't want to leave him with his Gran or a nanny or someone who's not his parent.'

'I get that,' Pansy huffed. 'But if you throw a fit every time she goes on that hiking trip with her friends, not to mention the countless other times you're a pain in the ass, she's bound to get cranky.'

'Fine,' Draco relented. 'No causing trouble whenever she wants to do something, no matter how potentially exhausting it may be for her. What's number three?'

'Good. And number three is that you know all of what I just told you. You're aware of the fact that you aren't being a really easy person to live with. But the stubborn prick that you are, you're still going to be sitting here and bitching about how great the good ol' days were and how much you miss them. Grow up! It's called the honeymoon period for a reason. You're not gonna be like an infatuated teenager around your wife after four years of marriage, and neither is she! So, grow up, and realise that this is real life, and if you just, for a second, quit whining about it, you'd like it a whole lot more.'

Blaise chuckled, and pecked Pansy on the cheek.

Draco smiled, and shook his head. 'You really are something, you know, Pans?'

Pansy smirked, and Blaise did nothing but smile, and thank his stars that he hadn't listened to Draco all those years ago and married the witch who was resting luxuriously in his arms.

-X-X-X-

'Do you think it's my fault?' Hermione nervously asked Ginny as she nestled a warm cup of coffee in her hands. Leo was sleeping in his room, and Ginny had come over because Hermione had said that it was an "emergency."

'I think it's both your faults,' Ginny said bluntly. 'I'm sorry but I don't think either of you are showing a whole lot of intelligence or maturity by going on the way you are.'

'Well, I can't help it, Ginny! The man just gets on my nerves sometimes!'

'And so do you. Face it, you love the guy, he loves you, you've had a kid together, and you're sitting here having a marital crisis in front of me, a two-time divorcee.'

Hermione winced and shrugged apologetically. 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be. I mean, it's not like you're rubbing your marriage in my face or anything, but honestly? I'd prefer that to what you're doing right now. Sweetheart, I know that right now, to you, these differences in opinion may appear like there are cracks forming in your life with Draco, but believe me, if I'd had even half of what you and him have right now with either Harry or Oliver, I'd probably be married right now.'

'Does it still affect you,' Hermione asked hesitantly, sipping at her coffee. 'What happened with those two?' Ginny had gotten divorced from Harry within a year of wedded bliss (or lack thereof) and just seven to eight months when it came to a certain dashing seeker who played for Puddlemore United.

'I'm fine, Hermione,' Ginny sighed. 'I mean, I mostly blame myself for even marrying Oliver in the first place – five weeks of dating and mind-blowing multi-orgasmic sex shouldn't be the deciding factors of "to marry or not to marry" – but I guess I'm mostly fine. I miss Harry, sometimes, but if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be, right? Besides, our marriage had gotten very intense, and toxic, and…you were there, you know how it went down. To be honest, we're better off as friends – he gives the best Christmas presents to his mates, but when we were married? He never did make any effort with the gifts.'

Hermione smiled, and patted her friend on the back, looking down into the cup she and Draco had personally selected from a little flea market just outside of Muggle London. Draco had made faces throughout, but she'd not relented, and the entire fiasco had resulted in them coming home with a set of these hand-painted mugs and an old, elaborate candlestick Draco had insisted they buy, that they had never used even once.

She sighed, and looked up at the clock, absent-mindedly noting that Draco would be home in a bit. And, who knew, maybe Ginny really was right. She couldn't help but wonder that if she really couldn't point a finger at what exactly had gone wrong down the road, it must mean that maybe there really was nothing wrong.

Maybe they were just looking for there to be something. And she didn't know why.

-X-X-X-

'I popped over to Blaise's today for a bit,' Draco said, walking out of the bathroom and clumsily putting on the loose pajamas he liked to sleep in, shucking off his shirt haphazardly in the process.

'That's nice,' his wife acknowledged, bent over a thick volume on their bed.

'What're you reading?' he asked casually, slipping in beside her and getting under the covers, propping his back against the headboard.

'Oh, nothing really, just this month's issue of The Modern Wizard's Guide to Ancient Arithmancy,' she replied, distractedly.

'Sounds swell,' he commented dryly.

She looked up then, catching his tone, and narrowed her eyes at him. 'I'll have you know that it's actually a very informative and interesting read, once you get past your "I won't read school-related books because I'm not in school anymore" bigotry.'

He chuckled. 'Well, suit yourself, Granger, but I've got myself a much more – compelling – read, so to speak.'

She rolled her eyes at his use of her maiden name, and muttered a snarky "whatever" before going back to her digest. She didn't notice when her husband reached inside a drawer and extracted his old journal, neither did she notice when he noisily started flicking through the pages to grab her attention. He did catch her fancy, however, when he started reading a passage aloud.

' _15th Januray, 2002. Mark the date, journal, this date is going to be monumental. It's the date I realised that I am looking at the witch I am going to spend the rest of my mediocre life with._ '

Hermione spun around to face him, and her eyes widened when they came to rest upon what Draco held in his hands.

'Is that -?'

'My old diary?' Draco cut in. 'Why, yes. I do believe it is.'

Within a second, Hermione had shuffled up so that she now sat to his immediate right, her eyes glued to what he held in his hands.

'Why? Why, all of sudden?'

He sighed and put the journal down, rubbing at his eyes wearily. 'I don't know. I came across the thing in the attic the other day, and haven't really had the courage to properly go through it since then.'

Hermione nodded and carefully settled against him, resting her head on his shoulder, and drawing her knees closer to hug them to her chest. 'And now?' she asked.

'I guess I've gathered some of your infamous Gryffindor bravery,' he replied.

'I want to listen,' she simply said, and he nodded, focusing his attention back to the leather-bound on his lap, as he began to read.

' _15th Januray, 2002. Mark the date, journal, this date is going to be monumental. It's the date I realised that I am looking at the witch I am going to spend the rest of my mediocre life with._ '

Hermione drew in a breath and glanced up to search for his eyes, but he looked forward, and continued reading, pretending that he couldn't feel her penetrating gaze upon him.

' _We'd gone out for dinner at a quaint little Muggle café, and as usual, I'd ordered pizza, and she'd rolled her eyes at my inability to order anything but whenever I visited Muggle food joints. I'd simply grinned and said that thin slices of baked flour topped with cheese and tomato sauce were my weakness and she'd laughed then, and Merlin, it had gone straight to my heart._

 _Lately, I've wanted to do nothing but spend all my time with her. I spend most of work hanging around her shop (since not a soul pops into mine anyway), and then after work we take off together for dinner, and it's none of those fancy places I used to frequent before, mind you. She's somewhat keen on making sure her money goes on helping small business owners pay for their kids' tuition than, say, helping an established restaurateur buy a third house in France. So we go to little places she scouts off her Dailies, and takes me along with her, and…it's not half bad. Really, I think it should be pretty obvious to even the most remarkable of idiots by now that I go for the company, not for the food. To be perfectly honest, nothing except the pizza bodes well with me._ '

Hermione laughed at that, and snuggled in closer to Draco, and he twisted his head to the side to press an affectionate, tight kiss to her forehead.

' _And then I'd walked her home, and on the way we had an argument about how she always had to split the bill. She has a thing against letting me pay for her. I constantly reminded her that since I was her boyfriend, she should let me pay for her - if not all the time, then some times at least. But she said that according to her it was a supremely sexist rule made up by supremely sexist people at a time when women didn't work, and hence, had no money of their own to split the bill. And she, to quote her directly, was a "working woman" who made more than enough money to pay for her meal – boyfriend or no boyfriend_.

' _And that was when I knew. I just knew, when I kissed her goodnight outside her apartment, and I just knew when she was walking towards her door, and I just knew when she turned back once she reached the door to wink at me and blow me a playful air-kiss that I caught and pretended to throw away nonchalantly, and I just knew when she laughed at this and shook her head, and I just knew when she had gone inside and wasn't visible anymore. I just knew when I immediately felt the desperate need to bang on her door just so I could see her again._

' _And with that revelation enveloping me in its soul-crushing embrace, I walked back home, a new-found spring in my step, for I had never been surer of anything else in my entire life_.'

Draco shut the diary then, and leaned his head against the head-board, staring at a non-existent spot on the ceiling.

Hermione shifted in her position, and her ever-bushy hair tickled Draco's neck and caused him to smile.

'That – that really was something,' she breathed out.

Draco merely hummed and caressed Hermione's hand that lay on his stomach, rubbing soothing circles against it.

'You know, I feel kind of – I dunno – voyeuristic,' she giggled.

Draco barked out a laugh at that and shook his head, bringing up her hand to his mouth and kissing it softly. 'And we haven't even got to the good parts yet.'

'The good parts?' She raised a questioning brow and sat up. 'Do you mean what I think you mean?'

'Oh, absolutely,' Draco replied with a smirk.

She only laughed harder at that and gasped at the realisation of what her husband must have recorded in his journal.

'Did you – did you write about the ice-cream?' she asked, a gorgeous blush creeping up her neck.

'Why, Mrs. Malfoy,' Draco replied, sitting up straight. 'I do believe you're blushing.'

'Am not!' she replied hotly, and swatted him in the arm. 'Seriously, though? The ice-cream incident is-'

'Recorded,' Draco confirmed, a wide, boyish grin gracing his face. 'Would you like to read it?'

She bit her lip and ran her hands through her hair in a doomed effort to flatten it, and he had a simple surge to just lean in and kiss her soundly. So he did.

About a minute later, a thoroughly kissed Hermione, with a flushed face and a messy head of hair, was back in her original position – seated next to Draco as he hunted for the page, fanning herself as she told him that this was just a one-time thing and he was not, under any circumstance, to hold it over her head, or make fun of her.

And so they read on, and Draco gave her a replay of what they read, minus the ice-cream, of course, and they fell asleep in an exhausted mess, in a tangle of limbs, and in an air of content propriety.

-X-X-X-

 **A/N – A massive thank you to ALL those who read and reviewed the previous chapters! I can't tell you how much your feedback means to me – it certainly is the catalyst behind me writing this particular chapter! Many thanks to Chanberra, Megha, rebelsaurus29, venus1985, Rapidasher, Guest, and al0ry for their wonderful words of appreciation!**

 **Please leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**THE MALFOY MARRIAGE MEMOIR**

Chapter 3

A Blast From The Past (and other miscommunications)

* * *

The next morning found Draco and Hermione asleep for a lot longer than usual, and they were startled awake by the blaring ringtone of Hermione's mobile phone, harshly interrupting the blissful slumber they'd both been in.

'Hello?' Hermione asked groggily, wondering who on Earth was calling her this early in the morning, nudging Draco awake with her elbow as he tossed and turned in irritation, hovering between the stages of fully awake and not quite awake.

'Oh, no James, I've not forgotten,' Hermione huffed into the phone after a second, pushing her hair out of her face and stifling a yawn. 'Yes. Yes, I'll be there at eleven. Goodbye.'

She disconnected the call and noisily kept her phone back on the side-table, then stretched her arms above her head, easing out the cricks in her upper body.

'Draco,' she said, prodding at her still-sleeping husband's back rather forcefully with her index finger. 'Get up, will you? It's nine already. God, it's a wonder Leo hasn't woken up yet.'

When he gave no reply, she rolled her eyes, because she was well aware that he could hear everything she was saying, but was a lot more interested in sleeping.

'I know you're not sleeping,' she sang, and reached over to retrieve her scrunchie from where it'd accidentally fallen to the floor last night, causing the sheet covering her to drop down to her waist. She hastily tied her bushy hair into a ponytail and started whacking Draco with her pillow.

'For fuck's sake, Hermione, let a man sleep,' Draco grumbled, and snatched the pillow from her hands, throwing it carelessly across the room, all without opening a single lid.

But she was having none of it, and using all of her strength, she turned him around so that he now lay on his back, and expertly straddled him, caging his neck in a death grip.

He simultaneously let out a chuckle and a groan, and unwillingly pried open his eyes, wincing at the bright sunlight streaming in from the floor length windows that took up the greater part of their east-wall.

'Morning, sunshine,' Hermione laughed at the grumpy look on his face.

'You're gonna be the death of me,' he mumbled, bringing his hand up to toy with the ends of her ponytail, while the back of his other hand brushed against the skin of her bare shoulder, causing her to gasp.

'Your hand's really cold,' she said, bending down to press a chaste kiss to his mouth, one he returned pleasantly.

'You have morning breath,' he smirked, and she groaned and made to move off the bed to go about her morning necessities, but he held on.

'I like it,' he whispered, and brought his head forward to capture her lips with his again, his thumb caressing her cheek and she sighed. They kissed slowly and languidly, in no hurry to do anything or get anywhere – just two people kissing as though it were about to go out of fashion the very next day.

He pressed his hips up and she smirked against his mouth as she felt his awakening member against her stomach, but before they could proceed any further, the door to their bedroom was kicked open by none other than their son, who squealed an automatic "Mommy!" at the sight of his mother, causing Hermione's head to whip up and Draco to groan at the timing of it all.

She pushed herself off of him in record speed, and somehow managed to entangle the sheet in such a way that it caused her to tumble down from her position on the bed onto the floor rather comically and Draco couldn't help but laugh as his son rushed forward to see what had happened to his mother.

'It's not funny,' Hermione chided, glaring at Draco from the floor, as she gathered her sheet around her tightly, but Draco couldn't help but disagree, his shoulders shaking with uncontrolled abandon.

'Oh, shush, you,' she said, as she pressed kisses to Leo's cheek and tickled his sides, which had him squealing with delight, writhing about in her arms, asking for Daddy to help.

Draco's chest constricted when he looked at the both of them, but he didn't want to get all sappy about it, so instead he worked on getting out of bed, patted his son's head, and went inside the washroom to brush his teeth.

A moment later, Hermione appeared in the doorway of their bathroom and leaned her weight against the doorframe.

He winked at her in the mirror, and she smiled, shaking her head and reaching for her toothbrush. They brushed together in silence for a while, with the occasional battle for the possession of the spot directly before the mirror, which resulted in Hermione winning, and crescent shaped marks on Draco's forearms which oddly resembled Hermione's nails.

Draco spat out the froth into the sink and chuckled, 'I don't know about you, but our son is officially the biggest and best cock-block I've ever encountered in my life.'

Hermione gasped and swatted him on the arm angrily. 'He's your son. Have some decency!'

He grumbled under his breath and rinsed his mouth, patting it dry with a towel afterwards. 'Wanna take a shower?'

Hermione shot him a look that meant "Obviously" before she understood his implication and huffed. 'Honestly, is that all you men think about?"

'No, we also think of food and sleep.'

'Incorrigible.'

'Oh, come on,' he whined, going behind her and encircling her waist with his arms, pressing kisses to her neck.

'Not now, Draco,' she said, moving out of his grasp dexterously.

'Ugh, fine,' he muttered, stripping down and stepping under the shower. 'Be a killjoy.'

'I have to go to Sweet Water at eleven, you prat,' she rolled her eyes, stepping out of the washroom to find Leo sitting on the floor, surrounded by Draco's socks. 'And your son is now attempting to drown himself under your dress socks. Fantastic.'

'Sweet Water?' Draco called out from the shower. 'That's today?'

'Yes, I'd told you it's on Wednesday.'

'I thought you meant next Wednesday.'

'No, it's today. So I guess you'll have to wait with Leo till I get back?'

'Can't – today's interview day. And I thought you were gonna be there for that.'

'You said that was on Thursday!' Hermione replied, walking back to the bathroom. 'I clearly remember, because then I'd said, "Great, I'm free on Thursday, so I can be there". I guess we'll just have to leave him at Narcissa's.'

'Can't do that either,' Draco said, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a fluffy towel around his waist. 'Mum's out of town.'

'What? Where?'

'Some antique hunting expedition she's gone on with Aunt Andromeda.'

'Well, then, can't you reschedule the interview?' she asked, following him to their room and looming over him as he almost tripped on his strewn socks and held on to her hands for balance, all the while attempting to get into a pair of jeans he'd bought on his last visit to Muggle London.

'No, are you crazy? Come on. I rescheduled last time also, because you weren't free.'

'I can't put off going to Sweet Water again, Draco, you know that. I ditched them the last time, and there very well is no use for a SPEW meeting if its President isn't there to oversee all that's happening, is there?'

'Can't Ginny look after him for a bit?'

'She went on tour today itself, Draco. I had told you that as well when I told you that the meeting was on Wednesday. God, this is just like you. Would it kill you to pay a bit more attention to what I say?'

'I'm sorry, I didn't do it deliberately, now can we quit squabbling over this like children and figure out what to do?'

'I don't know, call the nanny service?' Hermione offered, sidestepping in time as a sock came flying for her face.

'Witches for the Supervision of Unattended Toddlers? No, thank you. The last time one was here she put on the telly and started talking to her boyfriend via floo-call, and I came home to find Leo lying naked in front of the TV, watching a documentary on the mating habits of rhinos, while Marie Presley or whatever her name was had floo-sex with her boyfriend!'

'Oh, my God, this is not the time to nitpick over the dastardly babysitters the service sends over, Draco. '

'I don't care. I'm not leaving my son in the care of some weird drug abuser from that nanny service, and that's final.'

'Well, then I'm sorry, but beggars can't be choosers. If you can't remember to clear your schedule or inform me of it beforehand, you most certainly don't have the right to stand there and crib about the uselessness of the nanny service.'

'Why are you blowing this out of proportion? I messed up the dates, big fucking deal? It's not like-'

'Don't swear in front of Leo, you foul-mouthed savage! He's at an age where he picks up words like those at the drop of a hat! The last thing I need right now is him sashaying about in his Falcon's underwear and spouting profanities for no particular reason!'

'You're giving me a headache with all this screeching.'

'Good. Take an aspirin. I don't care. But come up with someone with whom we can drop Leo off, because I don't have anyone in mind.'

'How about Molly Weasley?'

'Are you absolutely kidding me right now? The woman barely has time to take care of her own grandkids and you know how sick Arthur always is. It would be incredibly selfish of us to just drop off Leo at her place without any prior notice whatsoever.'

'Fine. I'll drop him off at Pansy's,' he growled.

'Well, okay! I mean, Delilah bullies Leo to no extent, but we don't really have any option now, do we?'

'Then it's settled.'

'Yes, and we wouldn't have had to get into a screaming match if you'd just learnt to be more responsible.'

'God, are we honestly at this again?' Just then, Draco tripped on a green sock, gifted to him by Molly for his 26th birthday along with a matching green jumper, and landed on his butt. 'FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LEO, PUT MY RUDDY SOCKS AWAY!'

Leo's eyes welled with tears, and Hermione groaned, reaching down to take him in her arms before the wailing ensued.

'Don't be a d-i-c-k to your kid just because you're in a bad mood,' she spat out, glaring at him, as she walked out of their room, cooing to Leo, as Draco glared right back from his place on the floor, surrounded by black and grey socks, the green trouble-maker sticking out as an eyesore.

-X-X-X-

Draco was in a foul mood when he rounded the corner to the store, and as a result, didn't even bother to nod his head in acknowledgement when the florist who sat right outside the shop grinned in his direction.

'I need coffee, Alisha, and I need it now,' Draco ordered as he entered the bookstore that had now become both his and Hermione's.

'And good morning to you, too, boss. I see lady boss is yet to arrive. She said she'd be there for the interviews, right?'

Draco sent a glare her way and she instantly understood that her employers had gotten involved in the usual sort of tiff and scurried away to get him a cup of strong coffee.

'When are the candidates going to arrive?' Draco asked the spunky twenty-three year old girl of Indian and German descent who manned the till of the store.

'Around ten, boss. Here's your coffee. Bitter, like you on a warm sunny day.'

'Ha-ha,' Draco bit out spicily. 'Did you get a call from Mr. Devereaux yet?'

'About the medical-magical tomes?' she enquired. 'Not yet. But it's only Wednesday. He isn't supposed to deliver until Friday.'

Draco nodded, surveying the receipts from the previous day. 'Say, how long did Rick say he'd be gone for?'

'Um, he says a year, but I don't know. Cancer takes time to heal, and his mum's all the way in New Jersey, so I hardly think he'll be popping in and out anytime soon.'

'Then we better make sure someone efficient is chosen to fill in Frederick's position,' he shot her a pointed look.

'Excuse me, boss, but is that a dig at my lack of professionalism?' she gasped.

'Indeed, it is.'

'Well, then it's a good thing I don't give a damn,' she retorted cheekily.

'You know, Alisha, it's a good thing I find you amusing, or you'd be out of a job real soon.'

'I dream of the day I don't have to work anymore, boss. But all in good time,' she sang, and he chuckled.

Just then, the overhanging bells chimed to signify them that they had a visitor, and Draco's breath caught when he saw who it was.

'Hi,' she said, nervously tucking a strand of her wavy, chin-length hair behind her ear. 'Draco, you probably don't remember me, but we met at Tracey's-'

'Sugar, wasn't it?' Draco smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. 'I do believe you've broken your promise.'

She laughed, and Draco had to admit that she looked just as he'd remembered her.

'I'm sorry,' she replied, an infectious smile gracing her sunny features. 'But it is kind of urgent.'

'Of course, I was only kidding. Do tell me, what can I do for you?'

'Well, not for me, exactly,' she winced, gesturing to a young and petulant-looking girl who was standing outside the store with a grimace on her face. 'It's my niece – Darla McKinnon. She, um, needs a job, and – come in, Darla! – well, I saw an ad in The Prophet, and I thought of her, and I think she'll be great for the one you're offering!'

Draco nodded, and smiled at Darla, who had just entered the store. 'Hello, how do you do? I'm Draco Malfoy.'

She nodded and muttered a "Fine, thank you," before sullenly looking down at her neon trainers.

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, turning to her aunt instead. 'And how have you been doing, if I'm allowed to ask?'

'Of course,' she blushed prettily. 'All that we'd agreed on that day seems so silly now. Anyway, I've been doing great! Opened another bakery – that's what I do for a living – in Paris. Actually, that's where I spend most of my time now. It's such a lovely city. But I've been back in London ever since this one graduated from Hogwarts,' she gestured towards Darla. 'And I do believe she needs a job to kind of ease her in to the whole thing.'

'I see,' Draco nodded. 'So, Darla, are you interested in organising and alphabetising?'

Darla shot him a "Are you kidding me?" look.

'I thought so. It's a temporary job; we can only keep you on until Rick – who you'll be replacing – comes back from New Jersey. And if you want the thing, I suggest you make yourself familiar with both organising and alphabetising.'

Darla turned a pleading eye towards her aunt who was having none of it.

'Thank you so much, Draco!' Sugar gushed. 'I knew you would-'

'Hang on. I haven't given it to her just yet. She's hardly said a word up until now! Say, does she even want the darn thing?'

'Darla, speak,' her aunt glared.

'Yes, I do, because otherwise my Aunt won't shut up about it,' Darla said icily.

'Now, you listen here, young lady, and you listen well. If you want to work here, you will learn to say polite things, and you will learn to arrange the books and oversee any orders or deliveries in case Alisha – that's who you'll be reporting to – is not around. You will have to greet the customers, offer them help should they need any, and stay up-to-date on the latest Muggle and Magical book releases. Is that clear?'

'Crystal.'

'Good. And lose the attitude. Which Hogwarts house were you in?'

'What?' she asked astonished.

'House. Which house were you in?'

'Um, Gryffindor. Why?'

'That explains it. My wife would love this.'

'Your wife?' Sugar piped in. 'I'm sorry, I didn't know you were married.'

'Oh, it was the wedding to be at, honey,' Alisha volunteered. 'Draco Malfoy marrying Hermione Granger? Scandalous!'

Draco rolled his eyes, while Darla's aunt nodded in understanding, shooting him a tentative smile.

'Anyway, one last question, Darla,' Draco asked, dead-serious. 'Who is your favourite author?'

'I mostly read comics –what, are you fainting- but my favourite just so happens to be Stephen King, thank you very much.'

Draco beamed. 'Oh, yes, Hermione would love you. You can start from tomorrow.'

After having received some more specifications and instructions regarding the job, both Darla and her aunt took their leave, but before they could go, Draco interrupted.

'Hey, Sugar?'

'Yes, Draco?'

'I hardly think Sugar is your real name, now, is it?'

She smiled. 'Elena. Elena Sanders. But my friends call me Lena.'

'Okay then, Lena, it was nice to meet you again.'

'Likewise, Draco,' she smiled, and turned.

'Hey, Lena?' Draco called out again.

'Yeah?'

'Tangerine still look that good on you?' he asked, mischievously hinting at their previous meeting.

'Oh, I don't know,' she smirked. 'Maybe. To be continued?'

'To be continued,' he nodded, smiling at her. 'Take care!'

He was still smiling a moment later, when he noticed Alisha staring at him, with one perfectly shaped eyebrow raised in disapproval.

'Tangerine still look good on you?' she mocked, making a face. 'God, I felt like I was in a teen movie.'

'She's just an old friend.'

'And old friend you just found out the name of?'

'Shut it. And cancel all other interviews,' Draco said.

'Ex-squeeze me?'

'What – we don't have a vacancy anymore.'

'Yeah, but that's because you gave "Sugar's" sullen niece the bloody job! Don't you think we should have one back-up ready? You know, for when the rude little chit flakes?'

'She won't flake,' Draco huffed.

'Because she's darling Sugar's niece?' Alisha crossed her arms. 'Face it, boss, you're heading into uncharted territory. Flirting is the one lane you should very carefully avoid while you've still got a ring on your finger, but if the ruddy lane must be entered, you've got to do it like you're entering Knockturn Alley, which, I'm pretty sure, isn't the same as doing it with your new undeserving employee's hot but off-limits aunt. And you know I've got a point, because this thing popped up on **my** radar. And I don't even think twice before encouraging people to divorce their spouses – why, I'm pretty sure I had a hand in my parents' divorce too!'

Draco shuddered, and then proceeded to ignore her. It wasn't flirting, and he didn't see the harm in interacting with Elena. So what, he pondered, if he had noticed that she looked beautiful in her yellow sundress and white shoes. He prided himself on being a fashionable man, and he was just appreciating her sartorial sense. It was nothing more than just a harmless bit of curiosity, perhaps.

-X-X-X-

 **A/N – Many thanks to ALL those who reviewed, I can't tell you how much your feedback means to me.**

 **For more details about Sugar – check out The Draco Date File, Chapter 4.**

 **Do leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**THE MALFOY MARRIAGE MEMOIR**

Chapter 4

Rewind, Repeat

* * *

 _19th January, 2005_

 _You know how I've always complained about not doing exciting things? I mean, just being spontaneous, letting loose, going with the flow?_

 _Well, suffice it to say, that today, I did just that._

 _At about noon, I walked in to Hermione's store, nodded to her till manager William, signifying that the "plan" – as we'd been calling it for the past two days- was still very much being called to order, lied to Granger about an emergency in my store, conveniently asked her to grab her purse while she was at it, which she did not, anyway, and rushed her over to the opposite side of the street, right where our getaway portkey awaited._

 _She was a bit confused at the sight of the entire luggage, but took one look at the toothbrush gleaming proudly in the middle of it all, like the eye of the storm, and understood. Before she could protest, however, my hand was on hers, then on the portkey, and then we were in Spain._

 _Don't you love a good surprise? My girlfriend sure does. Would she have liked to have known about it earlier so she could obsess over every obscure detail and worry herself sick? Absolutely. But was the look of utter joy on her face when she came to, and breathlessly drank in the private beach by which we'd landed worth it? Yes. A million times, yes._

 _When she exclaimed about the cottage and the beach and the entire damn thing, I told her that Malfoys did nothing if not in style, and she rolled her eyes at that._

 _The rest of the day passed us by in a blur. Swimming in lukewarm water, splashing up a storm, kissing for hours on end – it was magic._

 _No, I haven't gone all sappy. Yet._

 _God, I'm so glad I decided to do this. It's a much needed vacation. And now we're off for a taste of the local cuisine._

Draco groaned as he stretched himself out, snapping the journal shut. He remembered that vacation quite vividly. He'd bought a really nice bikini for Hermione that she'd liked the colour of, but had transfigured into a one piece before putting on. He snorted at that memory. It was so typical of her. He hadn't been offended at the least, and had spent the entire day with an amused look on his face.

'Boss, I'm packing up for the day,' Alisha called out from the front of the store.

'You go ahead, I'll lock up.'

'You sure?'

He nodded again and put the diary back in his bag, switching off the lights with a flick of his wand, and closing the store behind him, setting up the necessary wards in place. Someone had tried to break in once, but had been caught by the sweeper who did the rounds every night, and had done no more harm than a broken window, but after that incident, Draco and Hermione had made sure to take extra precaution.

He slung his satchel over his shoulder, shoved his hands into the pockets of his robe, and started walking. He usually apparated, but something about tonight made him want to walk.

He wandered around aimlessly till a little counter operated by a balding man in his sixties caught his fancy, and, before he could stop himself, he had stepped up.

-X-X-X-

'Oh, hello, Hermione, it's a pleasure to see you.'

'Likewise, Pansy,' Hermione smiled, tucking a wayward strand behind her ear. Though she'd gotten pretty comfortable with Blaise, she hadn't really become "friends" with Pansy. They were just very different women. They were acquaintances, yes, their husbands were best friends, yes, but that was about as far as it went. Pansy liked to spend her time pouring over Witch Weeklies, researching ways to make her hair look shinier, and Hermione, well, Hermione read The Modern Wizard's Guide to Ancient Arithmancy when she was bored. Enough said.

'How's Leo doing?'

'Oh, he's asleep. He and Delilah wore each other out. Those kids will be the death of me.'

Hermione smiled. 'Thank you, though,' she added. 'Thanks for putting up with him on such short notice. Draco and I were in a real fix.'

'Ugh, I can imagine,' Pansy snorted. 'Don't even get me started on the days I've to hunt for people to leave the kids with. And to top it all off, Daffodil says she'd old enough to not need a sitter anymore. Which is utter crap, obviously, but who's to make these kids see sense?'

Hermione smiled again, and picked up Leo gingerly, careful to not wake him up.

'Well, I'd best be going, now. Thanks again for taking care of him.'

'Hermione?' Pansy interrupted just as she was about to leave.

'Yeah?'

'Okay, I know that the two of us aren't exactly close, but, there's just something I've been meaning to ask you. Is everything okay between Draco and you?'

Hermione narrowed her eyes. 'Did he put you up to this?'

'No, sweetheart, I can see for myself, I have eyes. I do notice something's amiss when my friend barges in here in the morning in the foulest of moods with a toddler in his hands.'

Hermione sighed. 'It's really no big deal, Pansy, but it's just hard to put up with him sometimes. You know how he can get. And even if it's his fault, he doesn't want to admit it! It's like living with another kid.'

Pansy snorted. 'Tell me about it. It's literally the same with me and Blaise.'

'Really?' Hermione asked, surprised. 'But the both of you seem…I don't know…so in love?'

'We are,' she said, pursing her lips and pondering for a moment. 'But he's still unbearable most mornings. Though, that being said, I'm not an angel either. So it's a little bit of give, a little bit of take, and that's the magic of marriage!'

Hermione chuckled. 'Amen.'

'You do know that Draco and I used to date, right?'

'I'm aware, yes. Why?'

'Well, he was a real douche.'

Hermione laughed at all – a loud, belly-rumbling guffaw that almost woke the sleeping toddler in her arms.

'He was fourteen, Pansy, cut him some slack.'

'That being said, I've known Draco my whole life – since we were babies. He was a real ass. He got a bit better after Hogwarts, I'd say, but he was still a major prick. You know, he tried to convince Blaise against marrying me?'

Hermione raised her eyebrows. 'You're still holding that against him?'

'Of course not, don't be silly. All I'm saying is that he often did stuff without thinking of others, or of their consequences. I mean, I guess he still does, a bit, at least, but you know when he really changed? I mean, he's still the same person, but a different version of himself. A better version of himself. He became that version when he met you. Now, he thinks about others – most of the times, at least – and, I don't know, he's just a better person. And you made him discover that part of himself.'

'Pansy, I don't know what to say, I –'

'Don't say anything,' she interrupted. 'Don't say it isn't true. Because I remember that day you and Draco were at Narcissa's for her annual spring soiree. That's when I first found out you two were dating. And I remember telling Blaise, "Now, there's a couple who's in love." And I wasn't wrong. I usually never am. So, just, you know, remember that.'

-X-X-X-

'HERMIONE!' Draco exclaimed as he entered their home. 'HERMIONE!'

'Leo is asleep in the other room, you idiot!' she harshly whispered, running out of their room. 'What's the matter?'

Draco let out a deep breath, panting. He'd run up the stairs in his excitement, but now that he was there, he didn't know how to say it.

'What is it? Oh, my God, are you hurt?' she asked worriedly, rushing over to him, examining him for bruises. 'No? What is it?'

He just held up two tickets. 'We're going to Spain!'

'What?'

'I know it's sudden but I was thinking how we never do things spontaneously anymore, so I saw this little counter in Diagon Alley today, an advertisement for a travel agency, and I know we've been there already, but the only thing that's available on such short notice is my cottage, and we leave day-after, and…why aren't you saying anything?'

Hermione sighed. 'When do we leave?'

'Day-after? What's the matter? Are you mad?'

She sighed again, reaching over to cup his cheek in his hands and peck him on the lips. 'This is so sweet, Draco, really, but…I can't…I'm going to Japan.'

-X-X-X-

 **A/N – This is a horribly late update, my apologies, but in my defense, my laptop was out of order, so I really couldn't help it. WHY IS HERMIONE GOING TO JAPAN? You'll find out in the next chapter, I suppose.**

 **MANY MANY HUGS AND KISSES to my readers. Extra hugs and extra kisses to those who take out the time to leave a review – Megha, Guest 1, bennetfan84, hoshiakari7 (hello, I remember you from my DDF days, thanks for reading the sequel, too), Guest 2, Chanberra, SavageGraceX, Guest 3, Rapidasher, Natasha Granger, and swagatamalfoy! I love you guys, do stick around!**


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